Balmain: private commercial debt from $500k to $100m-plus

Balmain’s smallest published loan is $500,000. That single number tells you who this lender is for. It’s a Sydney-headquartered private debt house that writes around $5bn of loans a year, mostly secured on commercial real estate, development sites and the assets of mid-sized companies. It isn’t where you go for a $40k stock order.

If your deal is bigger and more complex than a bank will comfortably handle, though, Balmain is one of the established names in Australian private commercial lending. This profile uses its own website as at October 2026.

How Balmain is structured

Balmain calls itself a privately owned and operated financial services organisation with two arms: commercial mortgage finance and funds management. It says it has been central to private debt for more than 40 years, with a lending portfolio above $5.5bn.

The funds side matters to borrowers because it’s where much of the lending money comes from. Balmain Fund Administration Limited is responsible entity for the Balmain Discrete Mortgage Income Trusts and the T30 Mortgage Liquidity Trust. A related company, Balmain Funds Management Pty Ltd, holds an Australian credit licence and manages the discrete trusts.

Its head office is in Phillip Street, Sydney, with further offices in Parramatta, Newcastle, the Central Coast and Hunter, Canberra, Melbourne, Bendigo, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

Balmain’s lending menu

Product	What it funds	Published detail
Real estate investment loan	Income-producing or value-add property	12 to 18 months for properties needing work; 18 to 60 months once stabilised
Site acquisition	Land from rural-zoned to permit-approved	Higher LVR as planning certainty grows
Construction	Subdivisions, multi-stage, high-rise residential and commercial	Multiple drawdowns, cost-to-complete checks, capitalised interest; can convert to an investment loan
Residual stock	Unsold completed units	Repay from sales at any time, no early repayment penalty
Mezzanine	The gap between senior debt and equity	Ranks second; costs more than senior debt
Preferred equity	A higher advance than mezzanine	May include profit share; usually for experienced developers
Corporate asset-based lending	Acquisitions, growth, turnaround	$5m to $100m, revolving or term, up to 5 years
Cars and equipment	Vehicles, machinery	Through Metro, leases up to $500k

Three things worth understanding before you approach Balmain

Residual stock is a genuine niche. When a developer finishes a project with unsold apartments or lots, the construction lender wants out. Balmain will refinance that stock and let the developer repay from each sale, without an early repayment penalty. That buys time to sell at fair prices instead of discounting to meet a deadline. Our residual stock loans page explains how these facilities are sized.

Its asset-based lending isn’t property-only. For companies with at least two years of trading, Balmain will secure a facility over receivables, inventory, equipment and property together. It names turnaround situations as well as acquisitions, which is unusual: plenty of lenders step back when performance dips. Our general security agreement entry explains the security document that typically sits behind facilities like this.

Mezzanine and preferred equity come at a price. Balmain is upfront that mezzanine costs more than senior debt, and that preferred equity can involve a profit share and a more active lender. Before taking either, compare the total dollar cost against bringing in an equity partner. Our mezzanine finance page sets out how the layers stack.

Is your project somewhere between bank size and Balmain size? Run it past our team and we’ll tell you which lender tier fits the numbers.

Who Balmain suits

• Developers needing land, construction, stock or gap funding, particularly where a bank’s presale or equity requirements don’t work. See funding for property development.
• Property investors buying or repositioning commercial assets on a shorter horizon.
• Mid-market companies that want a facility secured across their whole asset base.
• Professional advisers such as accountants and lawyers, who can introduce clients directly.

It doesn’t suit sole traders and small businesses wanting under $500k, unsecured working capital or a quick online decision. If that’s you, start with our small business loans and secured business loans pages instead.

And for a well-presented development with solid presales and a strong sponsor, a bank’s construction team is worth talking to first. Banks are often the cheapest senior debt available, and a private lender earns its place when the bank’s policy doesn’t stretch far enough.

What to ask before you sign

1. What’s the full cost in dollars, including establishment, line and exit fees, and any capitalised interest?
2. Is the loan funded from Balmain’s own trusts or syndicated with other lenders?
3. On a construction loan, how often are cost-to-complete reviews done, and who pays the quantity surveyor?
4. What happens at maturity if the asset hasn’t sold or refinanced? Get the extension terms in writing.
5. For preferred equity, what share of profit and what control rights does the lender take?

If Balmain declines or the deal is too small

• Under $500k against property: look at first mortgage business loans or bridging finance.
• Construction with too little equity: compare structures in development finance vs construction loan.
• Bank and non-bank options both exhausted: our non-bank vs private lender comparison explains the next tier.

Other large commercial lenders profiled in this directory include Qualitas, MaxCap Group and Metrics Credit Partners.

Big deal or small one, the first step is the same

Balmain sits at the serious end of private lending, and it’s built for projects measured in millions. Plenty of owners who read about lenders like this have a smaller, simpler need, or a big one that’s better served elsewhere. Working out which is half the battle.

Our form is short: allow roughly a minute. Making an enquiry won’t trigger a credit check, and we don’t broadcast your project to every lender with a phone. A person on our side reviews the deal and gives you a call. Clear numbers on the site, the costs and the exit plan let us point you at the right tier of lender without wasted rounds.

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